Top Juco RB set to visit Tech

Newbold still solid

Damien Williams didn’t make the Rivals.com list of the top 50 junior college football recruits in the nation this season. Obviously, Arizona Western coach Tom Minnick didn’t get a vote.

Williams, a 6-foot, 210-pound running back, reopened his recruitment when Arizona State fired head coach Dennis Erickson in late November. He quickly attracted scholarship offers from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas Tech, where he has a visit scheduled this weekend. Williams rushed for nearly 2,000 yards this season for a Yuma, Ariz., program that finished 11-1 and ranked No. 3.

“He’ll be in the NFL in a couple of years, put it that way,” Minnick said. “He’s a very special kid. Can run. Can catch the ball. He’s physical. He’s probably the best junior college football player, all-around kid, in the U.S. this year.”

In the NJCAA championship game, Williams ran for 145 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to East Mississippi, a team that has defensive linemen committed to Florida, Texas and Mississippi State.

“By far, he was the best kid overall on the field that day,” Minnick said. “They had a couple of defensive tackles going to Florida and places like that, but everybody wanted to know where the running back was going.”

Williams committed to Arizona State twice — coming out of high school, when he failed to meet NCAA academic requirements, and again in November 2011.

“He was placed here by Arizona State,” Minnick said, “so that’s where he was going to go, and we didn’t let anybody talk to him until coach Erickson got let go at Arizona State. Once we said he’s open, everybody came in on him.”

In 12 games, Williams carried 259 times for an NJCAA-leading 1,931 yards and 26 touchdowns, caught 20 passes for 317 yards and four TDs and threw two touchdown passes.

Williams went to Mira Mesa High School in San Diego, Calif., where he had eight 200-yard rushing games and six games of three or more touchdowns as a senior. Rivals.com ranked him the No. 75 prospect in California at the time.

In Williams’ two years at Arizona Western, Minnick said his versatility and effort in all areas stood out. He could be the team’s best receiver if he played receiver, Minnick said, and on top of being the team’s top rusher, he blocks hard.

“The play I tell people about that was his best play is he was back on punt return, the other team ran a fake punt, and he came flying from about 30 yards away and knocked a kid out as he was running through the line with the fake punt,” Minnick said. “He just plays with that attitude when he’s on the field.”

Newbold still solid

Lancaster cornerback La’Darius Newbold visited Baylor last weekend, but said he remains committed to Texas Tech. Newbold pledged to the Red Raiders last summer.

Newbold said he’s heard from Baylor, TCU and Utah State recently. Newbold said his coach received a text message Tuesday from Texas inquiring about him, but he wasn’t sure the Longhorns’ level of interest.

“I’m still staying with Texas Tech,” Newbold said. “People are still calling, so I don’t know what they’re going to say, but it would be kind of hard to change my mind at this point.”

Newbold played almost exclusively on defense as a senior and said he was credited with 86 tackles and about 15 pass breakups. He said he was measured at 6-1 and 190 pounds during his visit at Baylor.

Vols make move

Texas Tech pledge Chase Robison, a 6-4, 225-pound defensive end, will visit Tennessee this weekend, according to published reports. Robison visited Tech last weekend, which was his third trip to Lubbock — he’d also been to a Tech football camp and a Tech junior day.

Robison is from Memphis, Tenn., Christian Brothers. When he committed to Tech in August, the Red Raiders were the biggest program to offer him a scholarship. Since then, he’s picked up offers from Louisville, Colorado, North Carolina and now Tennessee.

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Remember what Baylor's Gannaway tb did to us this yr? You know the monster tb that knocked all our guys on their a**es as he romped about Cowboy stadium at about 16 -17 yrds avg per carry. The guy that left bruises on our def bkfield and wanna be linebackers. Oh, yah That guy!!
Well Gannaway is soon to be in the NFL, but perhaps one a notch better is on the way. Dear God pleaseeeeeeeeeeeee dont let OU sign him!!! Coach if you dont take this guy while available we gonna send you to a dr! This kid is big and fast and mean and will be in the NFL soon. We got nothing like him on our team. He cant miss. Our coaches will get to talk to him last, so, Prunty, Mainord, Cumbie, Tommy - somebody's gonna sign him and it dang well better be us!!!

ps: dont count on Eric Stephens to be the kid we used to know after his rehab and besides he aint in Damien Williams league anyway.